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Nelofar Sultana ¹, Zeenat Ayoob ², Masood A. Qurashi ², Shamoon Naushad ¹, Rukhshan Khurshid ³, K. Fatima Shad ⁴, Sadaf Ahmad ⁵

Affiliations
1 Department of Physiology, Dow University of Health Sciences Karachi, PK
2 Department of Physiology, Dow University of Health Sciences Karachi, Pakistan, PK
3 Department of Biochemistry Fatima Jinnah Medical College, Lahore, PK
4 PAP RSIB Institute of Health Sciences, University of Brunei, Darussalam, IN
5 Department of Physiology, Karachi University, PK

Abstract

Dementia is a syndrome described by impairment in memory, impairment in another area of thinking such as the ability to organize thoughts and reason, the ability to use language etc. These impairments are related to vascular and non vascular factors and are severe enough to cause a decline in the patient's usual level of functioning. The study was designed to find out the relationship of socioeconomic status, hypertension and the severity of dementia in elderly people. 200 Subjects participated in this study. A detailed autobiographical interview and complete questionnaires including socio-demographic data was taken. The cognitive status was judged by using the Mini-Mental State Examination. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressure was recorded by sphygmomanometer. Socioeconomic status was assessed based on the lifetime longest occupation that the subject had held. Our study observed that pre hypertensive individuals with low socioeconomic status were at high risk of developing severe form of dementia as compared the patients with stage 1 hypertension. Severity of dementia in both pre hypertensive and stage 1 hypertensive patients with middle socioeconomic group was quite similar. 50% patients with stage 2 hypertension showed severe form of dementia. It is observed that 50% of pre hypertensive with high socioeconomic status showed mild form of dementia, 50% patients with stage 1 hypertension with high status showed moderate form of dementia and 50 % with stage2 hypertension of high status showed severe form of dementia. Chi square value showed a significant positive relationship of severity of dementia with the stage of pre hypertension, stage 1 & 2 hypertension. It is concluded that severity of dementia and hypertension are both associated with all socioeconomic classes.

Keywords

Dementia, Hypertension, Socioeconomic Status.

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S. Nelofar ¹, S. Khalida ², A. Zeenat ², Masood A. Qurashi ², Rukhshan Khurshid ³

Affiliations
1 Department of Physiology, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Medical College, Lyari General Hospital, Karachi, PK
2 Department of Physiology, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, PK
3 Department of Biochemistry, Fatima Jinnah Medical College, Lahore, PK

Abstract

Present study tried to find out the role of midlife, BMI and different stages of hypertension in developing dementia which may lead to Alzheimer's disease in city of Karachi-Pakistan A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2008 and April 2010. Study included 611 hypertensive patients of both males and females gender with age>50 years. Patients were taken from the local clime and hospitals of Karachi-Pakistan. Patients were screened for cognitive impairment using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and informants who knew the subjects answered the Informant Questionnaire for Cognitive Decline mthe Elderly (IQCODE). BMI and blood pressure of each patient was noted. Patients were considered to hypertensive according to Joint National Committee criteria. Our study observed that the intensity of dementia is directly related especially with hypertension type 2. Study also observed that with the increasing in age the prevalence of all form of dementia was observed. Highest percentage of patients with low BMI and BMI>25 showed severe form of dementia as compared to normal weight. It is therefore concluded that hypertension type 2 is the major risk factor that will increase the risk of AD in Pakistan; but along with other factors like obesity and aging, it can lead to AD and related pathological conditions in individuals markedly characterized by dementia and cognitive decline.

Keywords

Hypertension, Dementia, BMI, Alzheimer's Disease.

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